Zai Shun Curry Fish Head

Zai Shun Curry Fish Head is a Teochew zi char stall in a coffee shop at Block 253 Jurong East Street 24. As the name says, curry fish head is the main event. It also serves other fish dishes, simple stir-fries and plain Teochew porridge.

The stall is run by Ong Cheng Kee, who has been cooking for more than 50 years. Eatbook reports that the business started at Yuhua Food Centre in 1981. Today it takes up much of the coffee shop under the block, which has plenty of space and good airflow. It is on the Michelin Guide Singapore's Bib Gourmand list for 2026, which marks good food at good value.

What to order

The curry fish head is the dish most people come for. The gravy is bright orange and tangy with assam (tamarind), and the Michelin Guide calls it hot and spicy. Okra, also called ladies' fingers, and tomatoes cook down in the gravy until soft. The inspectors describe the fish as soft and full of flavour, and well suited to steamed rice.

A whole head is a big dish. In Eatbook's review it was about right for three people, so it is best shared. Eat it with plain rice or with Teochew porridge, a thin and mild rice porridge. The fish comes with a small dip of vinegar, chilli padi and lime.

For a side, try the bittergourd egg, sliced bitter gourd fried with egg. Eatbook found it was not bitter and liked it with the porridge. The rest of the menu covers other fish dishes and classic zi char stir-fries.

What is zi char?

Zi char, also spelt cze char, means "cook and fry" in Hokkien. It is the local name for casual stalls that cook Chinese dishes to order. You pick several plates for the table and share them with rice, family style. If you are new to this kind of meal, read our guide to what a kopitiam is and our hawker dishes explained.

Good to know before you go

• Go early: the coffee shop fills up fast. Eatbook warns that seats are hard to find once the lunch crowd arrives.
• Bring cash: the Michelin Guide lists the stall as cash only.
• Ordering: Eatbook notes that ordering can be tricky if you do not speak Chinese, so have the dish names ready.
• Fish head price: the price of the fish head can change with the season, so check before you order.
• Getting there: Eatbook puts the stall about a 15-minute walk from Chinese Garden MRT station.

Nearby

Make a morning of it in the west with a walk at Jurong Lake Gardens, or take children to the Singapore Discovery Centre. For Thai food in the area, try MP Thai (Vision Exchange).

For more ideas, see all restaurants in Jurong, our hawker favourites and more chilli crab and seafood restaurants. Our guide to Jurong and the West covers the rest of the area.